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Sustainability

NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities (CEC) Program

The Village of Warwick intends to further assess how climate change will affect the Village of Warwick and its residents and to take further steps to reduce the Village’s contributions to climate change. 

The NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program (https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec) is an initiative that helps local governments reduce energy consumption and drive clean energy use in their communities. The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Certification program is an interagency initiative administered by the DEC that provides a comprehensive framework for local governments to lead community action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. The two programs are complementary. Both require applicants to document completion of specific actions in order to earn a designation.

The Village of Warwick has taken steps to pursue and document actions that will apply to both the CEC and CSC programs, in the interest of furthering our environmental sustainability efforts. 

The Village’s CEC scorecard may be found here:

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Clean-Energy-Communities/Tracking-Progress/Scorecard 

The Village’s CSC Certification status and points earned may be found here:

https://climatesmart.ny.gov/actions-certification/participating-communities/ 

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While by no means an exhaustive list of updates, several notable dates and actions of the Village’s progress include:

  • July 1, 2019, the Village Board resolved to adopt the CSC Pledge, signaling its intent to become a more sustainable community. 

2019 Resolution – CSC Pledge and Benchmarking

  • July 1, 2019, the Village Board resolved to establish energy benchmarking requirements for certain municipal buildings. The Village would then be expected to establish a baseline of energy consumption moving forward.  

2019 Resolution – CSC Pledge and Benchmarking

  • September 20, 2022, the Village Board created the Climate Smart Communities Task Force. The purpose of the CSC Task Force is to drive the Village’s efforts towards completing and documenting High Impact Actions and achieving the CSC Certification.

2022 Resolution – Creation of CSC Task Force

  • November 29, 2022, the first three-year energy benchmark baseline was created and shared with NYSERDA. This Action will earn points with both the CEC and CSC certification programs. The Benchmarking requirement applies to all Village owned buildings with greater than 1,000 sq ft of space, which includes: Village Hall, DPW Barn, Waste Water Treatment Plant, Water Treatment Plant, Microfiltration Plant.

Energy Consumption Benchmark Report as of May 2022

  • November 29, 2022, the CSC Task Force completed the GHG Inventory for Government Operations, which is a “High Impact Action” that counts towards the CSC Certification. The GHG Inventory covers all gas and electric usage for 12+ months as well as the vehicle fleet gas and diesel consumption. Having a comprehensive energy consumption report will help the Village identify areas for improvement. 

Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Government Operations 2022 Summary Report

VOW Gov Operations Climate Action Plan – First Draft

  • October 16, 2023, the Climate Action Plan for Government Operations was adopted by the Village Board of Trustees.

2023 Resolution – Climate Action Plan for Government Operations

VOW Gov Operations Climate Action Plan – Adopted 10/16/2023

11 Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Environment… TODAY

  • Use reusable shopping bags for groceries
  • Bring your own mug when indulging in a coffee drink — and skip the lid and the straw.
  • Bring drinking water from home in glass water bottles instead of buying bottled water
  • Store foods in glass containers or Mason jars rather than plastic containers and plastic freezer bags
  • Take your own leftovers container to restaurants
  • Avoid disposable utensils
  • Avoid processed foods (which are typically sold with plastic wrapping or plastic-lined paper boxes).
  • Buy fresh produce instead, and use reusable vegetable bags brought from home rather than plastic bags
  • Request no plastic wrap on your newspaper and dry cleaning
  • Shop at second hand stores and consignment shops
  • Opt for non-disposable razors, washable feminine hygiene products, cloth diapers, handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues and rags in lieu of paper towels (old shirts and socks can be repurposed as cleaning rags)
  • Buy infant toys made of wood or (untreated) fabric rather than plastic
                                              © 2023 Village of Warwick, New York